Israel approves bill to classify West Bank land as ‘state property'

As the Israel-Palestine conflict drags on, the Israeli government has given its nod to a bill according to which it can claim large parts of the occupied West Bank as "state property". The bill was submitted by far-right Minister of Finance Bezalel Smotrich, Minister of Justice Yariv Levin and Minister of Defence Israel Katz.

Smotrich said that the bill is part of Israel’s effort to expand settlements in the West Bank area. According to media reports, as per the bill, Israel will resume the process of "settlement of land title" in the occupied West Bank. The process has been halted since the Six-Day War in 1967.

'Land ownership document mandatory'

They further stated that under the process, any person making claims on the land must submit ownership documents. It further stated that in case Palestinians fail to come up with the required documents, Israel, as per the new bill, will have the right to take the land as "state property".

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The bill will focus on Area C in the West Bank, which is currently under full control of the Israeli military. Much of the land in the West Bank has never been formally registered, largely because the legal procedures are costly and because ownership papers were lost or displaced during years of war and occupation.

An estimated 300,000 Palestinians live in the area in question. Many others in nearby communities rely on its farmland and grazing grounds, as well as parcels for which families still hold deeds or tax records that stretch back decades, reported the Hindustan Times.

‘De facto annexation’, says Palestine, Egypt, Qatar

The Palestinian presidency criticised the decision, describing it as a “grave escalation and a flagrant violation of international law”. The Palestinian Authority said the legislation would amount to “de facto annexation” of the West Bank.

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Israeli anti-settlement organisation Peace Now also denounced the measure, calling it a “mega land grab” from Palestinians.

“This move is very dramatic and allows the state to gain control of almost all of Area C,” said Hagit Ofran, who heads Peace Now’s Settlement Watch programme.

"Palestinians will be sent to prove ownership in a way that they will never be able to do," Ofran told The Associated Press.

Hamas slams bill

The Palestinian militant group Hamas criticised the step as a "violation of international law and UN resolutions." It said the bill was an attempt “to steal and Judaise lands in the occupied West Bank by registering them as so-called ‘state lands'".

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Egypt and Qatar also issued statements condemning the move. Qatar’s foreign ministry objected to the "decision to convert West Bank lands into so-called 'state property'," saying it would "deprive the Palestinian people of their rights".

The Egyptian government described the bill as a "dangerous escalation aimed at consolidating Israeli control over the occupied Palestinian territories".